Waterbug Tours
Waterbug Tours
4.5
Historical & Heritage ToursBoat ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate ToursNature & Wildlife Tours
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Full view
About
45-60 Minute...Wild Ponies,Nature & History Cruise: Cruising along the Rachel Carson Reserve in search of wild ponies... it's common for us to see Dolphins, Sea turtles, and a variety of wildlife along the way enjoy panoramic views of Beaufort's charming old homes & working waterfront. While learning the history of our quaint Seaport Village, hear about the best places to eat & the local sights not to miss! Don't forget your camera! A Little History A Little Nature A Lot of Fun!
Beaufort, North Carolina
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
203 reviews
Excellent
153
Very good
33
Average
14
Poor
3
Terrible
0
Janice L
3 contributions
Aug 2021
We switched to Sunset Cruise from Nature Cruise five hours before going on the cruise. It did not disappoint! If you could only choose one thing to do during your stay at Beaufort/Harkers Island area, the Sunset Cruise is the top one to do!
We wanted to see wild horses, dolphins, birds, etc. during our three-day trip here. We saw them all doing this cruise! Captain Johnny was witty, funny, and knowledgeable. During our two-hour cruise, there was never a dull moment! He took us around seeing horses and dolphins, informed us of the history of this area, and added humor in his talk from time to time. All of us (a family of three) enjoyed this cruise! It was worth the time and money spent! Thanks a lot, Captain Johnny!
We wanted to see wild horses, dolphins, birds, etc. during our three-day trip here. We saw them all doing this cruise! Captain Johnny was witty, funny, and knowledgeable. During our two-hour cruise, there was never a dull moment! He took us around seeing horses and dolphins, informed us of the history of this area, and added humor in his talk from time to time. All of us (a family of three) enjoyed this cruise! It was worth the time and money spent! Thanks a lot, Captain Johnny!
Written August 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christina S
7 contributions
Jul 2021
it was our First time to Beaufort, Nc. Water Bug tours departed on time and provided wonderful historical, and wildlife details of the area. Our Captain navigated the intercoastal waters skillfully during the low tide. Unfortunately we didn’t see horses up close, but we expected it due to the time, and heat of the day. We can’t wait to go back to the area and go out on another tour!
Written July 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary B
Richmond, VA306 contributions
Jul 2020
Such a fun way to hear a little history of Beaufort and be on the water for an hour before our dinner reservations. We visited in late July and it was very hot so we were thankful for the boat canopy. The captain divided up families so we would have some social distancing. Next time I will book the sunset cruise because I'm sure the views were even more beautiful and it would be even cooler.
Written August 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sndu
Washington DC, DC144 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Customer service is good. Booking was easy. No lines. May be because of Covid. Boat driver was nice but there was no mike or microphone. It was impossible to hear what was she saying. We did not see any horses or dolphins. It was just a boat ride. No one was wearing masks nor they were enforcing it. Everyone was touching handles and railing and no one was paying attention to cleaning them or wiping them after every ride.
Written August 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I'm very sorry you didn't have a good time on your tour with us. Being the owner and one of the captains that run this tour, we try our best to locate horses and dolphins ever tour.. The dolphins and the horses are wild animals and they do not appear every trip. I'm sorry you could not hear the captain. I use a mike and I will address that with her. I also clean the boat seats and rails after every trip with Lysol and she was suppose to be doing this also. This is also something I will follow up on.
Written September 10, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
RichardFontaine
Manchester, NH10 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
Captain Johnny was great; knowledgeable & friendly. Provided historical information & brought us up close to shoreline to see the horses. It was incredible & we were fortunate to see a pod of dolphins who gave us quite the show of flapping fins and jumping out of water. We saw the nest of Osprey and babies…nice to be only the only two vs 16 in the boat on a hot day. Zach was so accommodating to our error of booking wrong date. Thank you for making our 38th anniversary special. Captain Johnny loves questions and keeps him from his prepared presentations.
Written July 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
eggleg
Cincinnati, OH73 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
We loved our Waterbug sunset cruise! We chartered the whole boat even though we only had 11 people, the boat will hold 16, that made it nice and personal. Our captain was very knowledgeable about the area and able to answer our questions. We brought a cooler with some wine and beer, which added to the fun. It was cloudy so we didn't get a spectacular sunset but what we saw was beautiful! A few dolphins had some fun swimming around our boat which was added bonus!
Written July 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob J
Southport, NC925 contributions
Apr 2021
Fun and informative, you get lessons in history and biology by a very knowledgeable captain. We saw 2 wild horses up near the trees and learned a lot about them. Birds were identified and then some famous houses. We also learned about the big marlin tournament, Duke's maritime research center and the local restaurants along Front St. At the end,our captain revealed that he's also been on the tv series "Wicked Tuna Outer Banks".
Highly recommend this trip as it's quick and reasonable.
Highly recommend this trip as it's quick and reasonable.
Written April 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
willieb3077_12
Leland, NC144 contributions
Apr 2021
We had a reservation for the 5:15 tour. Captain Johnny called and suggested we go earlier as winds were forecasted to pick up. Fortunately, we were able to do so. Our group of 4 was the entire tour group so it felt like a private tour. The captain is a long time resident of the area. Even though some of the narrative was repeated we still learned a lot about the area and the flora/fauna of the Carson reserve. Saw a number of wild horses, as well as dolphin and shore birds. A tip: ask lots of questions to get Johnny out of the "canned" narrative. He has a wealth of knowledge.
Written April 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darlene D
Raleigh, NC64 contributions
Apr 2021 • Couples
Husband and I had a wonderful time on Sunset Cruise. Spent an hour + time on waterway around Beaufort learning about its history, waterfowl and wild horses. We were lucky to see wild horses and dolphins on our journey. Highly recommend!
Written April 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tricia P
Lewes, DE12 contributions
May 2022
This Waterbug tour was fun, interesting and filled with historical facts. We saw about 10 horses, dolphins, an osprey nest with its fledglings, and various species of birds. The captain provided a lot of history about the islands, Beaufort, and the many points of interest. He also had photos and other artifacts to share. I highly recommend this tour.
Written June 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I believe the daytime tour is $18 per adult and $10 per child, but check their website. We felt the tour fee was reasonable and it was a highlight of our trip.
Written April 1, 2018
Are toddlers (2.5 years old) required to wear a life jacket on this tour?
Written September 15, 2016
Per Coast Guard regs, there are adult and children's life preservers on board. Kids on our tour were not asked to put on a life preserver. All passengers including young children were to remain seated at all times while the boat was in motion. This probably would mean holding your toddler.
Written September 16, 2016
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